Ohio University Marching 110 - Gangnam Style at the Vatican!

The Marching 110 from my alma mater, Ohio University, recently visited Vatican City to put on a show. Jesus even makes an appearance! Check out
YouTube and search Marching 110 for other performances. Go Bobcats!

Earlier this month, the Marching 110 and the OU Wind Symphony traveled to Dublin, Ireland and Rome, Italy. The two ensembles each performed in
both countries.

The 110 performed on St. Stephen’s Green and outside the Green Isle Hotel in Dublin on May 8. The wind ensemble also performed inside the hotel.

On May 10, the bands performed in Vatican City. The 110 played in St. Peter’s Square and the wind symphony played at Aula Magna della
Sapienze-Universita di Roma.

The trip was a duel celebration of the 90th anniversary of Ohio University Bands and the 45th anniversary of the Marching 110.

In addition to the performances, the students also toured Kilkenny, Waterford, Trinity College, the Book of Kells, Florence, Pompeii, San Gimignana,
Pisa and the Vatican Museum.

Keith Wilbur, who plays trumpet for the 110, said his favorite part of the trip was playing at the Vatican. He said it was the first time in the
band’s history that an international performance has taken place.

“People abroad seemed to really love the performances,” he said. “When playing ‘Gangam Style’ everyone seemed to get very excited and were
amazed we danced as well.”

While performing at the Vatican, Wilbur said a man dressed as Jesus stood among the band members as they performed and even touched one of the members
on the forehead while he played. He said Cardinals at the Vatican opened their windows to watch the performance as well.

According to Wilbur, the 110 was invited to play at the St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Dublin, but the trip would have required the students to miss
a week of classes. The trip was postponed until the academic year ended as to not conflict with classwork.

Wilbur said about 174 students went on the trip. Because the excursion required the students to pay $2,500, he said not everyone traveled abroad.

Alana Newberry, a manager with the Marching 110, accompanied the band on its international trip.

She said the whole trip was amazing, but particularly the performance at the Vatican.

“The 110 is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself,” she said. “I’ve traveled all over our country and now across the Atlantic. It’s
wonderful.”

Thanks! Too bad the whole 110 couldn't be there, but it sounded like an expensive trip. As students, we were more excited to watch the band at
halftime than we were the football team. They put on great shows.

Awesome! It's a shame they couldn't raise enough money for everybody in the band to go. The best place my kids ever got to go preform when in
marching band was Disney, but I would gladly have sold off one of the hubby's kidneys for them to have gone on a once in a lifetime trip to play at
the Vatican!

Loved the preformance, they should get more publicity. Maybe more international tours, some radio play, anything.

But if they do plan any more tours, they'll have to be careful where they go.

Northern Mali was taken over by militants and Islamic extremists and now they're in the process of implementing a system of Sharia law in that
part of the country. That's meant an end to musical performances across the part of the country controlled by the extremists.

Musicially, Mali is one of the richest places in the world.

The country brought us the late guitarist Ali Farka Toure. Then there are musicians Salif Keita and Oumou Sangare.

And don’t forget singer-songwriter Habib Koite and Toureg band Tinariwen

But as of Wednesday, the music stopped in the north of the country.

That’s because Islamic extremists who control much of the vast desert region of Mali have banned all music, except the singing of Koranic
verses.

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